The Reawakening
by RPG Story Man
Summary: Yay...The prelude to Chapter 7 is up...
1. Nightmares

The Reawakening ~ By: RPG Story Man (Zac Peters)  
Note: I don't own any of the characters...Goes for all chapters...Also, forgive me if this looks like crap. I'm attempting my first Zelda fic...Pretty much the first fanfic I have ever submitted...So I'm not that good at sprucing it up visually. Anyway, Please don't review lightly just because its my first time...Its only fair. You can contact me at Bahamut1107@aol.com.  
Chapter one  
  
The screams were awful... Link stood in the black room with his hands over his ears, spinning around, slowly drifting into the dark world of madness. Jovial laughter rose over the screams, forcing him to his knees. He tried to call out, to what ever evil force held him there, but he made no sound. The strange familiarity of the laughter racked Links brain, as he sat motionless in his own hell. The room slowly started spinning around him, as if the force where simply toying with him as Link gave in and fell forward into the blackness...   
  
Links scream woke all of the inhabitants of the small village at the foot of the volcanoes. He sat up in bed, his long, blonde hair matted down to his back. His bed was soaked from sweat. Link sighed, almost in tears, but his masculinity forebode it. He shook his head, afraid to even lay his head back down on the pillow. He could still hear the damned laughter in his head, as was the case after all of his nightmares.   
  
Link looked and felt awful. He had not gotten any sleep, plagued with the dreams for more than three months. He slowly flooded the laughter out of his head with some humming, of some song he remembered from that day back then. His memories flowed back to him, giving him some sense of comfort as he poured himself a nice cup of coffee.   
  
He could still feel the overwhelming sense of pride, as he massacred that damned creatures body...He still felt the breeze that blew over him after the beast breathed his last. He still remembered the softness and comfort he felt when he embraced Zelda...  
  
Zelda...The ruler of all Hyrule, his childhood friend...Now, she was his sole source of sanity. They met everyone once in a while, though it was getting rarer every passing week. She had found an interest in another young Hylain by the name of Mayson. His father was a nobleman, owning a majority of fruitful lands beyond Hylia Lake. Though she loved Link like a brother, at the age of twenty-one, she had other needs.   
  
Link cursed the family name Mayson again, and sat on his bed, drinking his coffee. He tried to fluff his hair, still matted down on his back with sweat. He had to peel it off his back and he thought about just cutting it all off. It would be much easier to manage, he thought. But the ladies loved it...He sighed, thinking on simpler things, and got dressed for work. He put on his usual red, heat resistant tunic, some white stockings, and his trademark hat. He shook his head, fluffing his hair, and looked upon his wall.  
  
He reached for a sword wrapped in silk cloth. He unwrapped the tip, admiring the fine craftwork. The blade made of stainless steel, and in the four years of using it, it hasn't suffered so much as a scratch. He further unwrapped it, revealing a handle wrapped in lavender cloth, his hand imprint worn into it. The edges of the handle where lined with gold, hardly meant for keeping spiders away from a village. Link sighed and wrapped his prized possession back up, and placed it on the wall. He grabbed a shield, his bow and quiver of arrows. He reached again for the silk wrapped blade, but his hand stopped in the air. He instead grabbed a beat up, almost rusted over shell of a sword, and headed for the town gates.  
  
He stopped around the town square and looked around, and realized he was four hours early. He decided to climb the tower near the center of town, giving him a timeless view of the sunrise over death mountain. He yawned and stretched out, drawing his bow for some target practice.   
  
He saw a bird flying around the gate, an easy target. He pulled back the string and let the arrow fly, hitting the bird square in the middle. Link smiled, admiring his work, the bird and arrow stuck in the side of the mountain. He gazed up at the mountain, the sun just coming over the back. He smiled, but noticed something...out of place. The regular cloud of smoke around the mountain top was...black.  
  
Link suddenly got a headache, and that familiar jovial laughter filled his head, almost forcing him off the tower onto the cold grass. Link regained himself, enough to ease down the ladder and onto some stable ground, anyway. He stood up and shook his head, ashamed at his shell of a life. He is the hero of time! And now he is reduced to this, a tortured town guard. He shook his head again, and walked up to the town gate.   
  
He stopped and woke up the guard, George, so he could open the gate. He moved his hand around the wall until he found the lever, and pulled it down. He lifted a hand to Link in greeting, and drifted back off to sleep. Link grabbed up his arrow that was stuck in the ground, and tossed the bird to the side, and climbed up the all too familiar path. He drew his sword, impaling those damned red spiders when he passed them.   
  
He climbed all the way to the summit, and waved at the giant goron that slept there, in habit, and entered the actual mountain. He took out his long shot and aimed at a wooden pillar, and his body flew over the rivers of molten rock that flowed below. He walked into the temple, carved by sages at the beginning of time, or so they said. He made his way through the temple almost hypnotically, having been in and out so many times.   
  
When he reached the lair which belonged to Volvaga many years ago, he found that bastard Mayson killing a demon! If it wasn't enough that he stole his woman, now he had to beat him at his own excuse of a job!  
  
"Mayson!" He yelled at him, resisting the urge to fire an arrow at him right then. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Mayson withdrew his sword from the corpse, and turned to face Link. He spoke, his voice coming from all directions. "Did you not see the black ring?" He laughed, and Link cringed. It was the laugh from his dreams, that had plagued him these many months.   
  
"What is the point?!" Link screamed at him, confused and a little afraid.  
  
"Look and see..." He said back, the voice coming from behind him, and floating around the room. He laughed, and disappeared in a flash of black light.   
  
Link looked up through the crater, and saw the sky darken. It must have been only around ten in the morning, but its as black as night. Link stood, baffled, as what seemed to be another world drifted into the sky. Then, the laughter... The damned laughter filled his head, and forced him to his knees. He covered his ears, but it didn't stop it.   
  
He fell onto his face, and it simply got worse. He tried to get up, but it felt like his knees where made of led. He drifted in and out of consciousness, every minuet of both filled with the jovial laughter...And then he just lie there, completely motionless... 


	2. Realising the Truth

Note: I don't own Zelda! I will though, just wait...  
  
Chapter 2  
  
  
Darkness. Link once again returned to his nightmares, the screams and the laughter, much more vivid than ever before. He saw a figure, and all the noise stopped. The figure opened his mouth to speak, and then Link felt wet.  
  
He was in the guard hut, and George had thrown water on him.   
  
"Thought yeh was a gonner there..." He said, his hick's accent strangely comforting Link.  
  
"Well, I'm fine!" Link snapped at him, angry that he did not get to hear what the man said, but also a little thankful.  
  
"Alrighty then...Yeh can go, jus' tryin to help ya!" He said, thoughtfully, and walked out the hut to his sleeping position.  
  
Link gathered up his belongings and stepped outside. The sky turned pitch black and the other realm waved into place. Link was able to get a good look at it this time; It was a desecrated version of Hyrule. Right now it was in his village...every home destroyed and filled with little blue demons. They where only up to Links waist, but they had a sword in each hand and spiked armor.   
  
The 'camera' shifted, giving Link a view of Hyrule Field. There was very little grass and all of it was on fire. Zombies roamed freely and there was a man. Mayson? Link couldn't tell, but the hate for him filled his mind. Suddenly, the other world became unstable, shaking and waving violently, and it just disappeared from the sky.   
  
Link knew what he had to do. He went to the back of town, near the windmill was, and went inside the stable he built there. There she was. He hadn't seen her for a full year and a half and she looked better than ever. Epona.  
  
As he climbed up on to her, his memories came sailing back to him. When he beat that Ingo at the ranch, twice, and had to jump the wall...He smiled at himself, and remembered just how great his life could of been...  
  
He threw a red rupee to the guy minding the stable and set off for Hyrule town. He eased Epona down the steps to Hyrule Field, remembering the time she fell over and broke her leg. He had to leave her in the stable, since she couldn't run or anything. She was useless. Like him...  
  
Link cursed himself, and galloped her over the small bridge. He pushed her as hard as he could to the drawbridge, trying to vent some of his anger. He stopped her less than a foot from the entrance to the town, and trotted in. He tied her to the horse post that he had installed whenever they restored the town.   
  
He got off her, and ran to the Temple of Time. When he went in, the door slammed behind him. He turned around and looked, trying to figure out what's going on.   
  
"Why must I deal with this..." Link spun around, trying to find the source of the words. It sent a shiver down his spine, and then he saw him. Mayson. That son of a bitch!  
  
Link wasted no time, he readied an arrow, and let it fly in his direction. Mayson laughed, and stretched out his hand. Link squinted, and wondered why Mayson was still standing. He laughed, and threw down the arrow, he had caught it!  
  
"Why so violent? No wonder why Zelda has shunned you!" He called out to Link, and laughed.  
  
Link drew his sword, having enough of Mayson. "Why are you here?" He asked, his voice kind of shaky.   
"Oh, how much easier things would be if you would simply look, path-" Mayson was cut off, as a blast of light immobilized him. Link lowered his bow, and ran up to him, prepared to slice off his head.   
  
"Link! Calm yourself!" A familiar voice called out from him. "If you kill him, your no better than he is..."   
  
"I am already no better than he!" Link screamed in rage, and swung his sword as hard as he could at Maysons neck, yet his head stayed connected to his body. "What the hell?!"   
  
"I refuse to allow you to harm him." Rauru said, now visible. "He is harboring Ganondorf!"   
  
Link gasped, and stepped backwards and dropped his sword. "I thought he was in the sacred realm!" Link shouted, his eyes wide with fear.   
  
"He is...But his own corruption of it reawakened him. He can not enter the realm directly, but he can put part of his spirit in another's body. If you killed him…he would be released." Rauru said, lowering his head. "It is the triforce of power that allows him to do this."   
  
The mention of the triforce made Links hand glow, revealing his portion -- The Triforce of Courage. He still was the Hero of Time, he had to kill Ganondorf! "I'll kill him." He said, calmly.   
  
"Its not that simple. If, somehow, you managed to enter the realm, you could not leave until Ganondorf was dead, and you had captured his spirit...or else he could follow you out." Rauru told him "And, the only way in, is by the sages. Mayson was imprisoning them in sacred stones, forged by the three goddesses at the beginning of time."   
  
Link sighed, doubting if someone like him was noble enough to save the world "How many did he get to?" Link asked solemnly.   
  
"All of them. Except Zelda and myself. You will have to rescue them. The only way to wake them up is to play the Song of the Sages. Zelda is the only one living that knows it, so go see her!" Rauru told him as he dematerialized.  
  
Link stood still for several minuets thinking, and then he went off to find Zelda. 


	3. The Forest Catacombs

Chapter 3  
  
Link started out of the temple, when he noticed Mayson, still frozen. Knowing he might be able to 'un-freeze', he had to do something. "Rauru! What do I do with Mayson?" He called out, a little bitterness showed in his voice.  
  
"Leave him to me..." Rauru replied, trying to rush Link out.   
  
Link turned and left the temple behind him and his anger slowly loosened its grip on Link's ability to think, but he was not at all light-hearted. He jogged over to the horse post, and untied Epona. He climbed up, then realized what he was doing. He shook his head and got down, and tied her back up. He was loosing it...  
  
Cursing himself again, Link walked off to the rebuilt castle. The bridge led to the top floors of the castle, since Ganon's evil magic no longer held the floating landmass in place. The top floor was solely a system of pulley based elevators and sandbags. The elevator there took you directly to the ground floor, where the reception room was. From there, there was a large hallway of elevators, which led to different floors where the rooms where located. It took three years to finally get it built, but this was the first time Link had seen how amazingly complicated it was.   
  
He stepped in the elevator. There was a rope hanging from the ceiling, a sandbag, and a note. It said to pull the rope. Link did so, and he was flung downward as the sandbags changed places, leaving him on the ground floor, quite shaken. He pulled the outside the door, sending it back to the top.  
  
Link walked up to the desk, there was a middle aged woman there, probably around 35 or so, reading a book. "Where is the Princesses room?" He asked as calmly as he could.   
  
"Why do you need to see her?" She asked him blandly, not even looking up from her book.  
  
"It's about Mayson..."  
  
"I hate the bastard too...What did he do this time?" She asked, glancing at him from her book.  
  
Link thought for a moment, the truth would be unbelievable..."He owes me some money..."  
  
She smirked. "Make sure you get twice as much as he owes...Strait down the hall."  
  
Link walked down the long hallway, reading the signs above the elevators. They where roman numerals written in calligraphy, it looked quite nice, actually. He reached the end of the hallway, and stepped in the elevator. He pulled the rope and braced himself, but the ride up was slow. A little too slow for his taste, so he saw another rope labeled "CAUTION: Will increase speed dangerously." And, of coarse, he pulled it, sending him to the top in an instant.   
  
When he reached the top, there was nothing but a giant door. He hesitated, but knocked anyway, and waited. "Who is it?" Someone, probably Impa, called out to him bitterly.  
  
"Link..." He replied.  
  
Impa ran up to the door and opened it. "I'm so glad your here...I really am rather sick of that Mayson fellow..."She told him, under her breath. "Please, come in. Zelda is waiting."  
  
Link walked in the room, and Zelda came running to him. "Oh Link..." She said, giving him one of those worried sibling looks. "I had no idea..."  
  
"Its ok..." He said, trying to reassure her, but he wanted to slap her. "You couldn't have known..."  
  
"He tried to kidnap Impa...And put her in one of the sacred stones...I'll never forgive that son of a bitch!" She said, her anger towords him making Link feel more comfortable.  
  
"That's not very lady like, Zelda..." Impa mused.  
  
"Rauru said I needed to play the song of the sages to release them...He also said you knew it."  
  
"I do, come with me." Zelda said as she walked to the fireplace. She pushed a book at the top over, reavealing a switch. She pressed it and the fire went out, and the wall behind it lowered. "Go in."   
  
Link cautiously stepped in and looked around. It looked very old, though it could not have been more than four years old. There was a stone tablet with notes to a song. "That's the song of the sages. Go ahead and play it." She encouraged him.   
  
Link stepped up and took out his ocarina, it had never left his pocket since he 17. He slowly played the notes, and they echoed through out the castle. Zelda started shaking and glowing. The light shot out of her, to the south west when the song finished. "The Forest Catacombs!" She said involuntarily and stumbled back.  
  
"Zelda? You ok?" Link asked her thoughtfully.  
  
"Yeah...Saria is in the forest catacombs! Its...under the Deku Tree..." She said, sounding very sure of herself. "You need to leave now...she's...in danger."   
  
Link wasted no time, he needed to get out of there. He nodded and said goodbye, and hurried out of the castle. How could she be such a hypocrite! She realized she was wrong. She needed him, and yet, she treated him like he was some...lost dog! He needed her a lot more than he needed a stuck up sister. Damn her. He could find another woman.  
  
Saria...Yeah, he thought. Saria. She was as crazy about him as any woman in Hyrule. And desperate. That was good, he was going to go rescue her anyway. That'll show that bitch, Zelda. He laughed to himself, as he left the castle behind him and got up on Epona. She lost her chance...  
  
He untied Epona and rode her out of the town, and headed for the forest. What about Malon and Ruto, hell, why not Nabooru too? He laughed again, he might just get with every damn woman in Hyrule! Mayson. What the hell did she ever see in HIM? He just leeched off his father. He would never amount to anything. Now he's stuck in the temple, with Rauru doing god knows what to him. Zelda ruined everything she touched.  
  
He tied Epona to a tree, and started into the forest. Mumbling to himself about random things. He was going crazy. He finally stopped himself. What the hell am I doing? He asked himself, and just stood still in the middle of Kokiri Village. I'm talking to myself. I'm asking myself questions. I'm loosing it... He sighed and walked on. He didn't care anymore . Being a little crazy never hurt anyone, he told himself.   
  
"Ey', Link! Look everybody! Link is back!" Some random Kokiri fool yelled. Soon a crowed gathered. He had a mind to draw his sword. They where just kids. That's all they ever would be. What is the point in them, he thought. He pushed one out of his way, and they all ran and hid. Damn kids...  
  
He got to the Deku tree and leaned against a tree. He yelled for the tree, though he knew he was long dead. He got up and walked over to it, and punched it. Damn tree. Never helped anyone. Just mused and said wise-sounding crap that worked for anything. Useless. Like him....  
  
He smacked it again, and the ground shook. He stepped back, but smacked at it again. And again. The ground in front of his mouth sank, forming a make-shift stairway. Without thinking, he walked down into the depths of the Deku Tree -- The Forest Catacombs.   
  
In the first room, there was nothing but stone pillars, covered in moss. It was dark. Too dark to see anything but the moss. He thought for a minuet, and then made a fist in the air. He muttered some words in an ancient tongue, and forced his fist down into the ground. An orb of fire surrounded his body, and shot out into the darkness. The moss caught fire, and revealed a hole in the wall and floor. It was looked like a slide, no telling how far down, or if there was any way up. But he didn't care. He would much rather die rotting away in a dungeon than going mad above ground. He laughed.  
  
He ran up to the hole, and jumped down feet first. He ended up in a room, it was dimly lit with torches. The fire was black. There was a rumbling sound, and Link looked to the ceiling. It was a giant spider. With wings. And what looked like rose thorns sticking out from all over its body. There was a roar, it shook the whole catacombs. Then the thing jumped down from the celing. The force knocked Link to his knees. It roared again, and ran over towards Link. He jumped to his feet, and then rolled to the side, dodging its claw.  
  
He fumbled around his tunic, looking for weapons. He had his little pissy ass sword, his shield, and his bow. He cursed himself for not getting the master sword that morning, and jumped over the monsters swinging claw. He drew his sword, and lunged at the un-thorned portion of the monster, his stomach. The sword penetrated the skin, but got stuck. He yanked as hard as he could, but it broke. He cursed again, and ducked another claw. He smacked the monster in the face with his shield, and if flew up in the air. He could see where he shoved his sword in, there was a big red knot. Maybe, if he could shove the sword to its heart...  
  
He took out his bow, and a light arrow in its face, blinding it for a second. It fell from the sky, and rolled on its back and screamed. Link took his shield, and smashed the red knot as hard as he could. The monster screamed again, and flapped its wings, knocking Link off. It roared, and flew over to him, as Link readied his bow. He felt in his quiver, only a single arrow left. He just stood there, the arrow in hand. Everything moved so slowly. He held his broken sword in one hand, his bow with a single readied arrow in the other.   
  
He threw the broken sword at the monsters wing, tearing it, and throwing it off balance, It landed on its back. Link ran over, but stumbled on what looked like a rotted human arm, and dropped his bow. All he had was one chance, and one arrow imbued with light. Link dove for the creature, and shoved the arrow into the knot. He hacked and tore with it, the monster screaming as loud as it could. Finally, Link took the arrow and shoved it all the way into his chest. The monster inhaled deeply, causing a sound worse than any of his screams. It shoved its chest up into the air, pushing the arrow further in, and then laid motionless. Dead.  
  
The room lit up, to reveal an alter with a stone placed in it. It had strange runes in it. Saria was in there. He whipped out his ocarina, and played the song of sages. The deep notes echoed off the walls, and the stone vibrated. It cracked in half, releasing a green spirit. Saria. She materialized before him, and fell to her knees.  
  
"Saria! You ok?" Link, acting as if nothing had happened.   
  
"Yeah, just a little shaken up..." She said, as she stood up. Link gasped, she was as tall as he was! "What are you staring at? Glad to see me?" She said, laughing a little bit. Her voice sounded matured.  
  
"Your...big..." He said, dumbfounded at the matured Kokiri before him.  
  
"What...?" She looked over herself for a minuet and gasped. "Oh my goddess...." She ran up and hugged Link tightly.  
  
"Saria...It's no big deal...No one will think any different of you..." He said, trying to comfort her.  
  
"Yes they will! Don't you get it? I'm going to be shunned! The big people don't belong in Kokiri village..." She said, crying softly into Links tunic.   
  
"Give it a chance, Saria, I think your beautiful..." He said lightly, trying to get her off the subject of being kicked out of her home town.  
  
"...Really?" She blinked and looked up at him.   
  
"Yeah, you where cute when you where younger, but now your...beautiful..." He smiled looked at her.  
  
"Link..." She kissed him lightly, just a friendly kiss, though. "But where would I go when they kick me out?" The tears filled up her big green eyes again, and she sunk her face into his tunic.   
  
"...You could stay with me in Kakaroki village, I guess...I got a nice little house, and we could settle down untill they realise what they have lost..." He said, and lifted her head. "It's gonna be alright." He said as he stroked her green hair, which was now grown down to he shoulders.  
  
She looked up at him, her eyes still innocent like the child she was not ten minuets ago, and Link felt something different. He couldn't help but smile. He was in love with her...atleast he thought so. Not twenty minuets ago he was about to kill everyone in Kokiri village...But, now, he felt...good. About himself, about life in general. He just felt good. He smiled again. Now he had something to live for. He wouldn't let anyone take it away, not Zelda, not Mayson, not even the Evil King himself. He would kill the bastard. For Saria. For him.  
  
But what if she didn't love him back? His heart sank. He was back to where he started. A cold, shell of a man, slowly going insane. He sighed and shook his head.  
  
"Everything will be alright..." He said agian, this time to him as well. "Now, lets get the hell out of here."  
  
Saria stood up and brushed herself off. "Yeah, your right. But how?"  
  
"Getting down was the easy part of the dungeon. Getting back up must be the hard part..." He said to himself, audibly.   
  
"This way." Saria said, as she knocked on the wall. It opened up, leaving a long, winding path. "Hmmmm...There is a switch at the end that turns the slide-thing into stairs down there."  
  
"How did you know that?" He asked her, looking for something to take down with him for protection.  
  
"I am the Sage of Forest, afterall, give me a little credit..." She smiled. "I'll get that."  
  
"Don't go getting yourself hurt, Saria..." He said, conserned about her.  
  
"Dont worry."  
  
She formed a green orb in her hands, and launched it down the hall. They waited for a few minuets in awkward silence, untill there was a sound from the pathway, and the slide folded itself into stairs.  
  
"Lets go, then..." Link said, grabbing Sarias hand and pulling her up the stairs with him. She giggled, thinking Link hadn't changed a bit. After a good while of running, they came to the top. Link mumbled something and they walked out into the sunlight, but Saria hesitated. Link laughed a little bit, trying to lighten her up. He pulled her out side, and into the town square.   
  
The Kokiri hesitated, then walked out cautiously, still afraid Link would snap. "Saria!" They called out. "Your big! What happened?" They sounded a bit angry, like they had been abandoned. "Why did you have ta go and get big?"  
  
Saria winced, and burried her head in Links tunic. He cursed each of them under his breath. He hesitated for a moment, and then he spoke. "You accepted me! And I'm not even Kokiri! I'm a Goddamn Hylain! She is a full blooded Kokiri, hell, THE SAGE OF FOREST. She deserves to be accepted more than any of you deserve to even live here."   
  
The Kokiri children backed off of him. "Saria...We're sorry..." They said together, and then they went back to their houses. Saria looked up to him, and gave him a weak smile. She looked back down again, wiping her eyes on his tunic, and took his hand. She looked to him again, and nodded. They walked out town, together, forgetting about everything else. Suddenly Saria stopped. Her eyes widened.  
  
"Fire Catacombs. Under Volvagias lair..." She blinked, having no idea what she just said. But Link knew. But he didn't care. He wanted to get Saria home first. The world could wait.  
  
*Note:* You guessed it, I wrote the last 3 quarters of this while watching Dolores Claiborne, which is a damn good movie. Anyway, look at me! I got a little Link/Saria goin' there. Will he go off, searching for the rest of the sages and forget about her? Will he just stay with her? Will Link find another woman? Read the next chapter to find out! 


	4. The Burning

Chapter 4  
  
She had her arms around his waist as Epona galloped around Hyrule Field. She was going at a nice speed, not too fast, but certainly not slow. They were enjoying the ride. Epona crossed the bridge to Kakiriko village, and he slowed her down, easing her up the stairs. He got up the first flight and turned for the second, and rubbed under Epona's chin, forcing her to buck up, scaring the hell out of Saria.  
  
"LINK!" She squealed at him as she almost slid off the back. Link simply laughed, and pushed her up the stairs. They rode quietly all the way to the stables, where he put her up. He helped Saria down., and they walked to his house, only a few yards away.  
  
Saria stood in the doorway, admiring the place before she walked in. "This is great..." She said, and walked through the living room. "...You have a fire place!"   
  
Link laughed. "I AM the Hero of Time, give me a little credit..." He looked at the fire place himself, and saw his sword. He knew as long as it was there, he would have to continue his quest. He smiled, there was really no need too. Mayson was with Rauru, Ganon was still imprisoned...  
  
"Make yourself at home" He told her. She collapsed on the queen size bed and stretched out. She put her hand in the air and shot a green orb into the fire place. The logs started sparking and soon turned into a roaring fire. She smiled.   
  
Link walked into the kitchen and Saria heard a Cuccu squeal. She was kind of hungry. She admired the house, it was pretty big. It was a lot more cozy than her old one room tree house. She could of stayed, but she would rather be with someone her own size, she lied to herself. She had liked Link for a long time...now she got her chance.   
  
"Dinner will be ready in an hour..." He said as he tightened the Cucco on the rotisserie and threw some more wood on the fire. He walked out wiping his hands on a towel and threw it in a woven bucket with a dirty tunic. "I haven't cooked anything in a while, so bear with me..."  
  
She smiled and got up off the bed. "Whoops...I forgot to go get my daily pay..." He said as he rushed out the door. She waited there for a minuet, smelling the Cucco roasting. She had never had it before...Cucco's where very rare in the forest. She had only had meat once, when Link cooked his cow before he moved to Kakaroki.   
  
Her thoughts where interrupted when Link burst through the door, brandishing a bag of rupees. "I got a bonus for clearing out the fire temple!" He said as he dumped the fifty rupees in his bank.   
  
"Good job...." She said "But...Something is burning..." Link ran into the kitchen and laughed. "It's just the cooking fire..." He walked out, and as soon as he did his cuccu caught fire. He ran back in, wildly fanning it with his hand. He grabbed some water and threw it on the Hyrulian chicken, putting it out.   
  
"Dinners ready, I guess...." Saria laughed at him, as he grabbed the cuccu and dropped it on a plate. It had the crest of the royal family on the center of it, probably given to him by Zelda. He cut off a good sized piece for himself, and Saria took the legs.   
  
It was actually pretty good, despite being burnt, soaked, and cooked by Link. Link insured her it was probably his worst work in the kitchen.   
  
"So, how does that spinney thing you put the cuccu on work?" She asked between mouthfuls of food.   
  
"Its a metal bar that has a handle you turn to spin it around, so it cooks all sides of the food. I fooled with it a while, so that I could wind it up to spin for a certain amount of time."  
  
"You must be really smart to do something like that!"  
  
"Not really, just bored enough."  
  
After dinner, they talked a while and fell asleep. They lived like that for a good week, Link never thinking twice about his decision to not continue his quest. Until that day.   
  
The stable shook, but Saria didn't think about it. Probably another one of those racing fools running his horse into a tree. It happened again, making Epona buck and almost knocking a hole in the stable wall.  
  
"...Link! Did you leave the Cuccu on too long again?" She laughed  
  
"I didn't put anything on...I was going to take you to this fancy place in castle town..."  
  
"Well, something is burning..." She said while she patted Epona on the head, trying to calm her down.   
  
"I'll go look then...I bet Anju is trying to cook again...It wasn't pretty last time!" He laughed as he walked out of the stable, Saria behind him. Another flaming boulder hit the town, this time square in the middle of Anju's house.  
  
Link ran over to her house, jumping over fences and small fires without thinking. Saria ran to Links house for shelter. Link pulled her out into her cuccu yard. She was knocked out and had a pretty big bump on her head. "She's fine!" Link called out to Saria, but did not see her. "SARIA!"   
  
He was scared as hell, running as fast as he could back to the stables. "SARIA!" He called out again, sticking his head in the stables. He turned back around and started for the gate to the mountain when he was thrown off his feet. A flaming boulder had hit his house! He leapt up and ran to his house.   
  
"SARIA!" He yelled, running into the house.  
  
"LINK!" She called back. She was in the bedroom, laying on the floor. She tried to get up, but fell back down. "Its my leg! I think its broken!"   
  
Link ran over to her, stepping over flaming wood and sidestepping away from burning walls. He picked her up, and jumped out the window, shielding her from the glass with his own head. He rolled onto the grass, and sat her down.   
  
"You doing all right?"   
  
"I'll make it...but my leg..."  
  
It looked awful. It was burned pretty bad and there was a big lump. Her leg was broken.  
  
"It'll be ok..." He assured her, and carried her the stables. He turned to face the volcanoe, smoke poured out of the crater. A few more volcanic rocks where shooting out, but at very low range. The monster that awoke when Mayson sealed Daruain did it. The monster had just made a death wish.  
  
Link started to get up, but looked back at Saria. "You'll be ok...I'd die before I let something happen to you..."   
  
"Go...It could happen again..." She said, sensing what he was after.   
  
Link nodded, and ran out the door into his burning house. He got to the fireplace, and took his sword and shield, both wrapped in the finest lavender silk in Hyrule, and both untouched by the flame. He took them and went out the window again, and ran back to the stables.   
  
"You sure?" He asked her while unwrapping his prized possessions.   
  
"Yes! Go!" She said, wincing at the pain in her leg.   
  
Link hesitated, then took out a bottle filled with blue liquid.   
  
"I was saving it for when I needed it..." He said as he took out the cork and raised it to her lips. She drank all of it quickly, feeling her strength return.   
  
"I'll be fine! Now go!" She said, moving her self by her elbows to the wall as he left. "I hope he'll be ok..." She said under her breath.  
  
Link shoved his sword in the scabbard and then covered it with his mirror sheild. He took his bow out, and counted the arrows in his quiver. 80. He wouldn't run out this time. He readied his bow as he ran up the path to the mountain, picking off the few living spiders. He got to the path leading up to the entrance...It was covered in burning lava.  
  
Links tunic protected him from the heat, but only that. The lava would burn him alive in less than a few minuets.  
  
"SHIT!" He screamed. He could not reach it...No possible way. "Shit..." He said again, thinking of what all he could do. Nothing. Absolutely nothing to get in.   
  
He looked around. He could walk on the ledges...If he could reach them. He reached for his hookshot, ready to fire at a wooden post, when he felt it. His ocarina! He quickly pulled it out, and played the Bolero of Fire. He felt himself go weightless, orbs of red light orbiting around him. He felt his body condense into a blinking light as he was hurled through the air to a triforce crest in the middle of a volcano. He was on a knee, and quickly stood up and rolled into the pit that led to the entrance of the temple.  
  
He hit the ground hard, quickly picking off a bat when he landed. He ran up the stairs, taking a quick right into a door. He ran over a bridge, picking off burning creatures and letting flying pillars of lava hit his shield. His feet carried him the rest of the way, while he worked his magic with the bow and shield. Eventually he reached Volvagia's lair.   
  
He looked in the floor, holes of lava. He walked around, looking for a way down. Saria said the entrance was here. Then he saw it. One of the holes was dried over, leaving a tunnel downward. He eagerly jumped in and slid down, into a giant room. He was on an island surrounded by lava.  
  
He looked around, until he realized he was in the heart of the volcano. Nothing but lava and the platform he was on. No way out. The platform shook violently, as it flew up from the molten rock. It was a huge pillar of lava, hitting the ceiling and firing burning liquid in every direction. Link hid under his shield for protection. Link looked to where it came from, and his gaze was met by a giant dragon's head. Its head was plated with thick scales. The head was semi-flat, a horn sticking out the back of the scales at a low angle.   
  
The monsters eyes where plated all the way around, and a thick covering protected them from lava. The mouth was also plated inside, save the tongue, which was too thick to assault anyway. The only hope Link had was a hole in its forehead, from which it threw out the lava pillars. It probably also gave birth to Volvagia, from the looks of the ridges in it.  
  
The monster lowered its head and shot a pillar of burning rocks at Link, who quickly rolled to the side and used his shield to absorb shrapnel. He countered with a light arrow to the hole, which only illuminated it. He could see the tube went down into the monsters neck.   
  
The monster jumped into the air, flying over Links head. He could see it was a huge Dondonagon, like the one he fought in the cave, except five times bigger....and with wings. It spread them, fully plated, and flew around the room, harassing Link with balls of lava. One of them barley missed him, taking his hat with it.   
  
"Dammit!" Link swore at it, firing another light arrow at the tail. It was not the regular Dondonagon tail, instead, on the end was a gigantic spiked ball. He could also see giant spines everywhere on his body, except for the face. It had no arms, instead it had axe-like scales that where as long as the platform. It swung its tail at Link, turning the platform up. Link grabbed at the ledge and hung on for dear life, but it was in vain. The monster fired a flaming ball at him, forcing him to let go.   
  
Link slid down as the platform started to fall back into the lava. His hands franticly searched for grooves the could grab at, but it was smooth. Everything moved in slow motion. Link rolled over, hoping for some salvation to fall from the sky and lift him up into safty. Link saw it. A jagged peice of rock with a groove in it in the celing. He took out his hook shot and fired it, just as the soles of his boots where singed off. He stayed there, only a very thing layer of leather covering his feet.   
  
The monster flew back into the lava, sending a giant wave of lava at him. He quickly tied the chain around his waist and took up his sheild, almost being burnt alive again. He enchanted an arrow with ice and fired it again into the hole in the monsters forhead, and readied another. The monster screamed as its breathing was cut off, as it chocked and rolled around, sinking into the lava and melting it. It rose again, and link dropped a jar of water directly into the hole. It was melted water from Zora's domain, garunteed to never melt if it was frozen. The monster shivered, and as Link shot the arrow, it scooted away.   
  
Link swore and readied another, but he dropped his quiver. He enchanted it and let it fly, as he watched his lucky quiver subcum to the fire. The arrow hit square in the water, and froze immidiatly. The hole was completely blocked, and the monster tried to scream, but failed. Blood red lava poured from its nose as it tried in vain to breath, but it couldnt. It opened its mouth to scream again, but the lava burnt it to a crisp in seconds. Steam from the lava meating salavia filled the air, and the dragon rolled over dead.  
  
Link looked around for the stone, but he did not see it. He dropped down, landing in a roll and searched the celing. Nothing. He spun around, his feet burning, and stopped to look at his handy work. The Dondonagon's stomach had a strange rune carved in it. The stone! Link quickly pulled out his ocarina and rattled off the song of sages, promptly causing a bright light to cover the monster, and a large Goron to apear standing on its stomach.   
  
" -- Bastard! You will never get me! Who the hell do you think you are? I sure as hell ain't goin in there bitch! You can kiss my ass y--" The Goron screamed at no one in particular, until he noticed that Mayson was no longer brandishing a stone at him. "Oh, hey big brother!"   
  
Daruain ran out him with his arms outstreached, and gripped him in a giant bear hug. "Damn, man...And I thought that monster would kill me!" Link laughed at him, in between winces. The goron lowered him back to the ground and laughed as well, and slaped him on the back. Link somehow managed to hold his ground.  
  
"Wish I could of seen you kill that..." He said "...And, thanks..." Link could tell gorons were not good at showing emotions. "Now, lets get out of here! I'm burning up!" The goron laughed again, and looked around for a way out.   
  
"I came in from the celing...last time I had to find a switch to get out..." He said, searching the celing for another jagged rock or something.   
  
"Last time?"   
  
"Saria..."  
  
"That little shit got Saria?! The low-down little rat ba--"  
  
"Calm down. She's safe. She's staying at my place..."  
  
The goron started to make a rude comment, but simply nodded. Link was always touchy about these things. "So, he get anyone else?"  
  
"All of them. Except for Impa, Rauru, and Zelda."  
  
"How the hell could a coward like that get --"  
  
"Calm down...Rauru has got him and doing god knows what to him."  
  
"Good."  
  
"What possessed Zelda's boy friend to do something like that, anyway?"  
  
"Ganondorf. Some of his spirit got to him."  
  
"I swear, if I ever find him I'd tear off his arm and beat him with the bloody end of it!"   
  
The Goron had a fiesty temper. Link simply laughed at him. He would like to let him loose on Mayson or Ganondorf...Infact, he would sell his house to pay to see that. He laughed again.   
  
"So, Daruain, I miss anything in goron village?"  
  
"Nope....You found anything yet?"  
  
"Nope..."  
  
"Want some music? I think I got my drums with me."  
  
"Music....Come over here and hold on." The goron did as he was told, and grabbed the Hylians shoulders. Link again brought the ocarina to his lips, and played the Nocturne of Shadow. Their bodies slowly floated up as balls of purple light, and reapeared at the entrance to the Kakaroki graveyard. Link jumped over the fence and waited for the large goron, who was still recovering from the warp.  
  
"Thats some wild stuff there, big brother!" He said as he jumped over the fence.   
  
Link laughed, and ran into the village, with the goron close behind. His jovial attitude fell when he once again saw his village in ruin.   
  
"Whoa...What happened?" The goron inquired.  
  
"Eruption..."  
  
"Well, I got nothing better to do, so I'll help clean it up!"  
  
"Thanks..."  
  
"Anything for my brother!"  
  
Link suddenly rememberd Saria. He ran as fast as he could to the stables, the pounding of the gorons feet not far behind. He skidded on the hay, searching frantically for her. "SARIA!" He called out as he scanned the ruins of his town.   
  
"I'm right here!" She giggled at him. She was brushing Epona, her leg in a crude splint. "I'm fine, by the way."  
  
"Thank the goddess..." He said as he ran over to her and kissed her passionatly. "I was worried..."  
  
"You gave me a potion. And it was only my leg, anyway..." She said and kissed him back. "So...How was your trip?"   
  
"I had to kill a giant dragon, was almost burnt alive twice in five minuets, and then almost got every bone in my body broken in a bear hug..."   
  
"So, your normal day?"  
  
"Plus a bear hug..." He laughed. "How's she doing?"  
  
Saria patted Epona on the head. "Good. Wasn't scared at all."  
  
Suddenly Daruains eyes sank into the back of his head. "Ruto. Water Catacombs. Under Zora's domain." He shook his head, wondering what the hell had just happened. Then Link realised he had to leave Saria again.   
  
"Saria..." He said tenderly, taking her hand in his. "I must leave. I think Daruain can tell you why, I don't know if I have the heart too..." He turned around and walked down the stairs. "Take good care of her, Daruain, or I'll have to kick your ass!" He gave a weak smile to him, and called his horse down. He first rode to the ruined bazaar and took a large quiver full of arrows, and then he and his horse floated away in blue light.  
  
Note: Finally! After I got back from the ski trip, I had so many Ideas I had to skip school to get it all down! Shame on me...Anyway, I'll get chapter 5 up soon for you guys...I know this isn't spell checked, I'll fix all 4 chapters Friday afternoon. I just wanted to get it up first. Anyway, I'm tired as hell, so g'night! 


	5. Water and Ice

Chapter 5  
  
Note: If this chapter sucks, It is because I was trying to get it out early. I figure that I owe you one since I made you wait so long for chapter 4.   
  
Spinning blue orbs descended upon the Hylians royal family crest, and soon materialized into Link and his horse. She bucked and neighed, but Link managed to keep her from falling off into the lake. He looked out on the lake. It was a nice summer day, one he had not been able to enjoy since he was a kid.   
  
Link thought for a moment, and dove off of his horse. The cool water was refreshing, and he had a good mind to stay there and swim. He swam through the water, up near the shore. He surfaced for a moment, admiring the sheer beauty of the lake, and taking a breath. He quickly dove back under the water, and found his destination...a hole. He swam through the water grew very cold. He lost his breath from shivering, franticly searching for an exit.  
  
He came to a large chunk of ice. He was trapped. He panicked. He pounded at the ice, not even seeing the hole right in front of his face. He screamed for help in his last breath of air, and his cry was answered. An icy cold hand dragged him from the freezing water into Zora's Domain. Link savored the air for a moment, and then stood up.  
  
"Thank you..." He said, looking over his savior. He was a Zora, and did not look comfortable in the cold.  
  
"Your...Welcome..." He said in between shivers.  
  
"Why are you here in the cold?"  
  
"I live here. Takes less than a coward to leave his home because it gets a little cold." He snapped back.  
  
"I take it you are alone, then..."  
  
"After the cold got worse...The king and the rest of the cowards went on Jabu Jabu to God knows where...I hope it was colder than this place!" He spat again, and sat down on a chair near the fire that Link lit so long ago.  
  
"Still going?"  
  
"Without it I'd be dead."  
  
"So, what ever happened to Princess Ruto?" He asked, keeping his mind on the quest before him.  
  
The Zora laughed. "She played for her fathers sins. Went missing before the king left...She was visited by a strange man the king didn't like him. I'll bet you the king ran scared. He could handle the cold, there's enough blubber on his fat ass to un-freeze this place..." He laughed again, and continued. "Anyway, the coward had the water temple turned upside down...Nothing. He left two days later."  
  
"So this was recent...Looks like no one had been here for a year or so."  
  
"Hell, happened two weeks ago. Been a year, and you'd of drowned in that tunnel." The Zora laughed again. He had a sick sense of humor.  
  
"There...Anything below the city?"  
  
"There's a myth..." The Zora's face grew emotionless. "At the beginning of time, Zora's domain was frozen. Then, Jabu Jabu, came as a young Zora and unfroze it. He banished ice from the domain into catacombs that he carved deep under the domain...'Sposed to keep cold and ice free from this place for ever, some job he did...Load of shit if you ask me...Just an excuse to keep that worthless waste of food alive..." The Zora laughed again. "But where have my manners gone to? The name's Alphesus. Welcome to my domain."  
  
Link extended his hand to the fish, and he shook it firmly. "I'm Link."  
  
"I've heard of you. Famous 'round these parts."  
  
"Everywhere..."  
  
"Also thought you where modest." The Zora laughed again. Link was growing sick of this one.  
  
"So, any ledged of how to get into the catacombs?"  
  
"The Kings Ice throne was what was left over, so I guess that must tie in somewhere...When it melted, it went directly into the entrance. Jabu Jabu sealed it when he grew to large to set in the seat and retired outside, in the bay...I ain't no damn scholar though, so I don't know. Why all the questions? Just some foolish ledged."  
  
"Just making conversation...So, I think I've heard some of it, shouldn't there be some holy fire to melt the chair?"  
  
"Yeah, Jabu's own enchanted arrows. He left the enchantment out in the lake or some shit...I don't really care anymore..."  
  
"I gotta go then, freezing my ass off..." The Zora muttered something under his breath. He sure was an ass...but he had good reason, he would give him that. He already had the arrows...the catacombs would be easy. Just some guardian...Though he had to admit that the last two had been pretty complicated...  
  
There it was. The throne. Link quickly donned his bow and shot a flaming arrow into the center, and nothing happened. Link thought about the ledged for a moment, and filled the entire bow with arrows. About 10 in all, spanning the whole thing. He enchanted them all with fire, and fired them at the giant chair of ice. The hit near the top, the entire area melting. Water fell down around the base of the chair, but quickly froze again.  
  
"Goddammit..." Link swore as he walked up the stairs to the chair, standing on the huge chunk of ice. He looked around the chair, for some sort of indention or switch...He jumped up to get a better view, and when he came down, the floor went with him. He fell for a long time, and ended up on the icy floor of a freezing cold room.   
  
His situation soon worsened as that annoying Zora stuck his head over the hole. "You doin' ok, man? You fell pretty far..."  
  
"I found the catacombs."  
  
"Well, good for you! Now how would you get out of there?"  
  
"Like this..." He whipped out his ocarina, and played the Nocturne of Shadow. His body shook, but that's it. Nothing. "What the hell?" Link tried the rest of them, not one working. "Goddammit!"  
  
"Stuck, ain't ya?" The Zora laughed at him.   
  
Link sighed, and the Zora opened his mouth again. Link, not being in the mood, let an arrow fly in his direction. The Zora swiftly moving to the side and lost his balance. The Zora tumbled down, bringing more ice with him, hitting the ground with a hard thud. He was out cold. Thank the goddess...  
  
Link got up to walk on, ready for the guardian at any step. His bow drawn and shield over his arm as he walked ever so slowly through the icy dungeon. He made his way through the hallway into a gigantic room full of pillars. He knew the guardian was there. In the middle of the room, there was a pedestal with a stone on it. Link quickly ran to it, but his effort was in vain. The pedestal sank into the ground. Link dove after it, but his face met a piece of ice, which covered the hole completely.  
  
"Dammit..." Link muttered, as he started searching for someway to go down a few floors. The familiar sound of skin on ice made him turn around, and he saw the Zora. He cursed again under his breath. "What do you want, Alphesus?"  
  
"Only to help. You need a way out, do y--" The Zora started as his jaw fell down, making it impossible for him to talk. His whole body vibrated and distorted, twisting in all kinds of impossible directions. The fish was on the ground, lifting himself with the insides of his elbows. The fish let out an un-earthly scream as his body stretched and giant fins burst out from his back. A tail wiggled out from where his spine ended, and screamed again as his body grew to accommodate his newly huge appendages. He looked like a giant fish now, with purple scales.   
  
Spines started to grow out around him, especially the face. The monster got up on his legs and lunged at Link, who quickly rolled behind a pillar. Link fired an arrow at its face, but it simply bounced off. The fish made a low, growling sound. It was laughing at him. Alphesus grabbed a pillar and smashed it on the ground sending chunks of ice everywhere. Link held up his shield in defense, but the force of the blow made him fall back. The monster brought a fist down towards Links head, but Link managed to slide his body out of the way over the ice. The monster spit at him, the saliva quickly freezing and creating a lethal weapon. Link hid behind a pillar, and could feel the force of the impact through the huge chunk of ice.  
  
Link charged up a fire arrow and let it fly at the icy floor in front of the demon fish, melting it. It slipped and ended up on its back, but not for long. He pumped his legs, and his fins bounced off the ice, sending him back onto his feet. Link had made a big mistake. Now it was personal.  
  
The monster backhanded another pillar away, sending it crashing into the wall. The whole room shook and Link fell to the ground. The demon fish wasted no time, and ran at him. Link saw the thin ice covering of the hole in his line of sight, and shot a flaming arrow at it. The ice melted away, making Alphesus slip again, but he stayed balanced, for a moment. His foot slid into the hole, and he fell flat on his face. Link made a quick run at him, but also fell victim to the water on the floor. He did a face plant, and slid directly at the fish. Link quickly put his shield in front of him, and smashed it into the face of his adversary.   
  
The force threw Link back, but he pushed his toes forward and flipped up. Link pulled his sword on the beast. Alphesus had made a big mistake. Now it was personal. He could feel the power coursing through his veins as he held it, giving a few practice swings, making the monster wait for its death. The monster dug its fingers into the ice in front of him. Link laughed at him...Pitiful. He would enjoy this.   
  
Link charged the beast, his sword coming inches from its purple scales, when he pulled with his fingers. The monsters body rocketed forward, with arms outstretched, quickly gripping a pillar. Link sword thrusted into the air; only too see his death flying at him in the form of a frozen pillar. Link rolled to the side, its cold, flat end missing the Hylians face by mere inches. It landed directly in the hole, cutting of his only form of escape.   
  
The monster lunged again at Link, his long fingernails catching a piece of Links shoulder. Link cried out, and retaliated with his sword. He shoved the fine piece of steel at the creature's heart, but it bounced off. The monster made the low, growling laugh again, and threw its head back as it put a hand on his injured shoulder.   
  
Link pulled a bomb from his pouch hanging from his side, and shoved it at the creatures face, planning kill the monster with the sacrifice of his bad hand. He missed. The bomb went directly over its shoulder, and slid across the ice, before meeting the wall. Link winced as the monster brought its arm back and the bomb exploded, leaving a hole in the wall just big enough for Link, from the looks of it anyway. The monster was caught off guard by this and let go of his shoulder for a split second. Link kicked off a nearby pillar and his body slid across the icy dungeon floor, heading for the hole. The monster chased after him, reaching for his legs.   
  
Links body disappeared into the hole and his entrance was met by a loud thud and a groan from outside. The monster had hit the wall. Link stood up and brushed himself off and though his shoulder ached, he ran down the spiral staircase, laughing. When he reached the bottom, there was the stone again. He walked toward it, and it went back up!  
  
"Shit!" Link swore again. He turned around to go back up, but stopped short as the room started to shake. The door he had just entered slammed shut. The guardian. Five holes opened up on the far wall when the room finally stopped moving. The room grew colder and five heads appeared, one in each hole. They looked like the heads on Chinese dragons, but where made completely out of ice. Link laughed.  
  
"That all you got?" He said, unleashing a fire arrow at the top one. The head extended its tongue, putting out the fire. The arrow fell to the ground. Still easy, he thought.   
  
The heads flew out of the hole, followed by extremely long necks and a tails. From head to tail, each was about twenty-five feet, Link estimated. One flew directly at Link, which he met with his shield. He pushed it into its head, knocking it to the ground. In one clean swing, its head was detached from its body. Link's hopes quickly fell when an icy head hit him directly in the spine. Link fell flat on his face, as another hit him in the calf of his leg. Link cried out as his knee smashed down into the ice, driven further by the ice dragon. Link rolled over, and slashed it right through the middle of its head, slicing it in half. The monster fell to the ground.   
  
Link quickly got up, but found it quite hard to run with his leg. He had lost feeling in it. He limped to the side, and swung his sword at one of the remaining three, but missed. Another Icy head smashed into his wound, knocking him off of his feet again. Link smacked it away with his shield, but the pain was immense. The dragons started flying around in a circle above him, and Link simply shoved his sword into the sky. One of the long ice demons hit it straight on, and fell to the floor. The other two scattered away, blending in with the walls. Link winced at the pain building in his arm and leg, as he started to spin around, looking for them. Link saw one. He readied a fire arrow, and fired it at its middle. It connected and melted a hole in the monsters center. It lost its lift, and fell face forward into the icy floor.   
  
Link quickly met his fallen advisory with another flaming arrow to the face, killing it. One left. As Link recuperated, he had found the final one. Or, it had found him. He felt a rush of cold air fly past him, as an icy head connected with the inside of his shield, knocking him forward. He dropped his sword and watched it slide down after him...this his shield went and he went with it, face first into the ice.  
  
Link looked up from his position on the floor, his gaze met by the ice dragon. Link quickly jumped to his feet, just in time for the monster to hit him square in the chest, knocking him back. Link lost his breath and slid backwards a few feet. He winced again, the fall not being good for his arm and leg. He propped himself up on his elbows, and saw it. It was ready to make a final pass. It was going to kill him this time. Link inched backwards on his elbows, his hands searching the floor franticly for something to come to his aid. The frozen dragon came racing towards him, and Link closed his eyes. He continued to move backwards and search the floor with his hands, and he opened his eyes. It was only inches away from his outstretched arm. Everything moved in slow motion, and the head connected...not with Links, but cold steel. The monsters head sank up to the hilt of his sword, and finally fell to the ground. Dead.   
  
Link sighed in relief. He got up and brushed himself off. He pushed the dead ice dragon off of his sword and went to find his shield. It was hard to see in the room of ice, but after he looked for a while he saw its red outline. He ran to pick it up, and then looked around the room. Where was the exit? Link went across the room from the holes and pounced on the wall, but nothing happened.  
  
"Dammit..." He said, and then the room shook. He saw the ceiling start to crack, and a giant, purple fish fell through. It growled at Link. It started in a run towards him, but Link was in no condition to fight. Link stuck his sword out, and it connected with the monsters knees. Link quickly withdrew his sword, and jumped to the side. The monster stumbled, and tripped. It landed head first into the wall. Link jumped on the monsters back, and set a bomb where his face and the wall connected. He rolled off, sliding a good distance away.  
  
The monster howled as the bomb exploded, sending pieces of his head flying in all directions, along with opening the door. It twitched, and then lies there motionless. Link quickly limped over the fallen creature and up the stairs to his destination. The stone. Link quickly pulled out his ocarina and played the song of sages, prompting Ruto to be sitting on the pillar.   
  
"Thanks...Link?"  
  
"Your welcome."  
  
"I suppose you want me to take you back now?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Bastard!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your a bastard!"  
  
"I'm just being polite!"  
  
"You're being a polite bastard! Now take me out of here!"  
  
Ruto hopped off the pillar and walked into the room they came from. "Uhh...Ruto...We're stuck down here."  
  
"And WHAT are you implying with that? I am the princess! I will not stand for this disrespe--"  
  
"Fine! I'll find a way out!" Link snapped walking back into the room he fell in from. God he was glad he didn't marry her. He saw a groove in the pit from where he fell in that he could hook onto from the longshot, if it would reach. "Okay, Ruto. Grab onto my waist." He called to her, already regretting it.  
  
"Do WHAT? You MAY have saved me, but I will NOT stand for this!"   
  
"Its just to get out."  
  
Ruto grumbled, and walked into the room with him, but stopped cold. Catacombs of Spirit. Under the Gerudo Fortress. She shook her head, having no idea what just transpired. She grabbed a hold of his waist, and he fired his longshot into the air, and it latched onto the groove. They rocketed out of the catacombs and onto the ledge. Link pulled them up and they were greeted by all of the Zoras.  
  
"I hope you disposed of Alphesus..." The king bellowed. "He locked us outside our domain. When he fell down with you, one of my more slender brethren managed to swim back inside and unlock us.... Ruto!"  
  
"Father!" Ruto jumped off of Link and onto her father.  
  
"Are you hurt?"  
  
"No, Link saved me!"  
  
"Thank you again, young man. I cannot thank you enough for all you have done for my people. Your welcome here anytime you wish..."  
  
Link was completely ignoring him; instead, he was fumbling for his ocarina. He quickly had it to his lips, and warped away, landing on his horse back in Lake Hylia. Without even fully warping, he was back at the graveyard. Epona jumped the fence, and ran to the stables. He jumped off of her, and ran to his house. He burst through the door to find Saria and Daruain talking.   
  
"Link!"  
  
"Saria! Your safe!" He said, as he ran over and hugged her.  
  
"Daruain kept me company...Why wouldn't I be?" She giggled.   
  
"Yeah Link, why wouldn't she be?" The Goron interrupted.  
  
"So...Daruain explained the whole thing about Ganondorf?"  
  
"Yeah...I know you gotta go know, but I wish you could stay here with me..."  
  
"So do I..." Link broke the embrace. I don't have to leave right away though..."  
  
"Link...My boy..." Daruain said as he patted him on the back "A man has got to do what a man has got to do. For your prides sake, I want to see you gone first thing in the morning.... Ouch..." He said, looking at the wound. "I think you need a bit of touching up..." The Goron left but he wasn't gone more than two minuets. He quickly opened a flask of red liquid and forced Link to drink it.   
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Anything for a brother..." The goron smiled and left. "Don't forget, Link...If you won't do it for yourself, do it for Saria!" He yelled back to him, still fearing he would give up for the woman again.   
  
*Note - Well, how did you like it? The ending of this chapter is set up for a lemon next chapter, which will be a different story, so I don't have to make this NC-17, but ONLY if you guys want it. You gotta tell me in reviews or e-mails or something. It might take a long time, or it might take a day. It all depends on the feedback I get.* 


	6. The Sands of Destiny

Chapter 6  
  
  
Link waved to Saria as he rode out of the town, Daruain with his arm around her. He really was helping alot, keeping Saria company, cleaning up the town...He really ought to thank the Goron when he gets back.   
  
Link eased Epona down the stairs, his quest flowing back to him. The Spirit Catacombs...Under Gerudo Fortress...He repeated the words in his mind over and over, not realising where the entrace could possibly be. She said Gerudo Fortress, not the Spirit Catacombs...Nothing came to mind.   
  
His thoughts where stopped when Epona bucked up, almost throwing him off.   
  
"Calm down..." He said, patting her lightly as he eased her over the plank of wood and then the bridge, and ended up in Gerudo Fortress...He hopped off of her, tied her to the post, and walked around the town.   
  
"Link!" One of the Gerudo women called out as she ran over to him. "What have you been up to?" She giggled at him, tracing her finger around his chin.  
  
Link laughed and managed to mutter 'Taken', scaring the woman off. He walked around some more, until he noticed the Key Puzzle room. He walked in and quickly started searching the walls and floor. He walked around more, toward the exit, but stopped. He walked to the side wall beside the stairs and found a patch of sand, instead of the limestone floor.   
  
He started digging, uncovering more and more sand. He got down on his knees and dug furiously, sticking his head down into the hole. He kept digging, getting down on his stomach and leanining into the hole, untill the better part of his body was haninging into the limestone tunnel. He pulled out his sword, and stuck it down into the sand to see about how much further he had to go, and he felt some resistance when it was about halfway down. He jerked it to the side in one quick motion, and his body slipped forward into the hole, and down the tunnel. He grabbed hold of a padded net which kept the sand up as he looked down the the bottomless hole beneath him.  
  
The first booby trap, and he wasn't even inside yet...Link laughed a bit at its simplicity, and took out his hookshot. A target was in plain site...But that was too easy. Link aimed at a wooden bar above the door. His body flew across the pit and landed firmly on the ground. For curiosities sake, he shot his hookshot at the target, causing the padded net to catch fire. He laughed lightly again as he made his way through the catacombs, sword and sheild drawn.  
  
Link watched the celing and walls closely, and noticed a change in the stone pattern on the floor for a few yards. He lit a bomb and droppped it, which tumbled down into another endless chasm, the audible explosion echoing up from the blackness.   
  
Link simply hopped over it and continued on, before he noticed another change, this time on the wall. He hit it with his shield, and nothing happend. Link caustiously stepped across the area, before being caught off guard by almost tripping over a small wire running through the floor cracks. He quickly retreated to a kneel behind his sheild as the wall across from him turned around and released an onslaught of flaming arrows.   
  
Link got back up and continued walking, a few larger than usual steps taken to avoid wires and a few jumps to avoid falling to his death in an endless chasm. He stopped at another change in tiling on the celing, but walked on anyway. He heard a distinctly metalic clang and rolled out of the way, avoiding a giant plate of spikes.   
  
After several more minuets of walking, he ended up in a large room and the exit had sealed its self off. The walls where raised just a bit, maybe an exit...A scorpian crawled out from under the raised portion, and Link noticed how small it was actually raised. The scorpian had to lower its tail to get through. Link watched it for a moment, before ending its life with his boot. He quickly looked around. There was a singly target on the celing. Link knew it before it even started. He quickly donned his hookshot as the room began to shake, as hundreds of thousands of scorpians poured into the room. He shot up at the target and held himself there, watching the restless arachnids pile up on each other.  
  
He fired several fire arrows into the crowed of them, burning them to a crisp, untill a majority of the room was clear. He dropped down and stomped out the rest, and the room shook again. Before he could react, the floor tiles fell into blackness and he went with them.   
  
He fell for a long time, spinning and turning the entire way down. He was loosing all sense of time and direction, he was falling up for all he knew. Eventually he collapsed in the air...and he dreamt.   
  
In his dream, he saw himself falling. Then, giant, very tanned, Gerudo arms reached out to catch him and lower him to the floor. He stood up, and everything sped up. He moved in fast motion through a tunnel and saw what looked like a statue of sand, and everything went too fast to see what was going on. He managed to make out the song of sages and stone, then time slowed back down. He was in a very dark place, and he saw himself enter a church. Time sped up again as he saw a mirror, and then time almost stopped when he advanced to the next room. Everything moved so slowly that it was impossible to miss anything.  
  
He saw the Dark Lord Ganondorf himself in the room and he bound Link to the wall. There was a flash of sand in the vision area and Link managed to make out a cloaked figure heading to Hyrule Castle, before being abruptly awoken by tons of sand crashing into his body.   
  
He lie there for a moment, trying desperatly to figure out why his body won't do what he tells it too. He tried to swear, but his mouth did not move. He tried again in vain to stand up, but he just lie there. He was dead for all he cared. His vision slowly slipped away from his body as he fell into blackness again.  
  
Link tumbled down into death slowly, feeling around with his arms for some ledge or post to grab onto, yet there was nothing. He was alone...no one too help him. He looked in all directions, and below he saw something. A pair of pale arms reaching for him. They went up into a green tunic and soon an entire body was visible from his position. Saria.   
  
He fell into the palm of her hand gently, and she lifted him back up to his body. He could see himself from a two-way mirror of sorts, and then a pair of Gerudo arms came from the distance. Naburoo. She floated him from Saria's hands to his body and breathed life into him once more. His body twitched.  
  
Link tried again to swear. "Dammit!" His words echoed all through the abandoned catacombs to whoever cared too hear. He almost cried, but again his masculinity wouldn't let him. He lifted himself up into a sitting position.  
  
Link slowly stood up, his strength flowing back too him in every breath he took. He took up his sword from the sand, his shield still connected to his arm. He did a quick equipment check, everything was there.   
  
Link took a few caustiouse steps into the darkness before letting a fire arrow fly to the outline of a torch. It blazed up, revealing a small hole. He quickly got down on his stomach and crawled through and was confronted with another pitch-black room, though some light creeped through from the last room. He stood up and walked through the room, firing another fire arrow at the outline of a torch.  
  
The room layout was similar, only the hole was partially burried in the sand. Link quickly got down on his stomach and dug a bit and slid through. The room here was lit perfectly, and revealed a statue made out of sand on a limestone pedestal. The stone was embedded in its forehead.   
  
Link quickly ran up to it, but only to see it spring to life. Link wasted no time shoving his sword in the creatures knee. His sword slid through with no problem, causing a large amount of sand to displace and mix with that on the floor. The monster roared, and the sand returned to his knee, along with some extra.   
  
Link stared in a wide-eyed gaze for a moment, before chopping its other leg entirely off. It reconnected in no time at all, again, with some extra sand. Link tried chopping it in half, but his effort was futile. The monster contiued to grow much larger each time Link removed one of its limbs. After both the arms and a hand left and returned to the monster, it had tripled in size.   
  
Link this time thought for a moment and took off its head. He ran over to where it was going to fall and cought it, but the sand slipped through his fingers, leaving the stone. Link picked it up and reached for his Ocarina, but before he could get to his ocarina, the stone had flown back to the re-constructed head.  
  
This greatly pissed him off, and he drew a bomb. Link ran over to the creature and cleaved a hole in the center and shoved the bomb in. The sand returned and trapped the bomb inside. He had forgotten to light it.   
  
The creature grabbed Link's shoulders and lifted him off the ground with ease. He tossed him into the wall like a rag-doll. Link hit it hard and slid down it into a half awake, half dead daze. He sat there for a moment when the creature came after him again. Link got back up and ran to the side. He had to detonate the bomb somehow. Fire arrows!  
  
Link quickly drew his bow and readied an arrow, but it was knocked away by the fist of the sand creature before he could fire. Link turned too it and rolled between its legs, sword outstreached. This cut off another leg and gave him a slight time adavantage. Link quickly regained his composure and ran to find his bow. He saw the arrow burning and quickly rushed too it. As soon as it was in his hands, the arrow was flying to the chest of the monster. There was a deafing explosion, due to the compression of the bomb.   
  
The sand was scattered all about the room, and the stone was lying at his feet. Link quickly pulled out his ocarina and played the Song of Sages. Naburoo apeard just as the sand had started to re-construct its self. The sand fell to the ground in mid-air.  
  
"Link!" She called out, lightly giggling.  
  
"You ok?"  
  
"Yeah. You doin' good too?"  
  
"I died...and I think that damned thing threw my back out." She laughed a bit, and soon they where both teleported to the temple of time with no warning what-so-ever. They stood in the presence of Rauru, Zelda, Impa, Saria, Darunia, and Ruto.   
  
Only one place was left for Link to cleanse. Ganondorfs own dark realm. Link took a painfull glance at the body of Mayson trapped in light waves. He was hung above the entrance of the temple of time to serve as a warning to Ganondorf, should he ever break free. Link had to see too it that the warning had to no porpouse.  
  
*Note* Finially, eh? I got bored of writing because of a SEVERE case of writers block. I was playing SSBM one hour ago and I smashed with the beamsabre being Link, and then this simply flowed out of my fingers. Chapter 7 won't be up that soon though, Gotta go to Florida. It WILL NOT be forgotten though. 


	7. The Desecrated Cathedral

A Prelude to Chapter 7  
The Desecrated Cathedral.  
  
"Link...Hero of time...It is time. We are finially reunited. Today Ganondorf, the Evil King, will fall, just as it was in the prophecy." Rauru bellowed, his words empowering Link. Naburoo walked over to the rest of them and gave him a wink.  
  
Saria got out from under Darunia's giant arm and stepped up to speak. "Link...After we open the portal, you cannot return untill Ganondorf is defeated...We fear that if we leave it open...He would return to our world..." She managed to choke out the last few words before she started crying lightly, stepping back into the firm grasp of the Goron.  
  
Link looked over them, giving them another chance to say anything. His gaze stopped on Zelda. She looked at Mayson, then back to Link. She thought for a moment, before running over to Link and hugging him as tight as she could. "Link! Please don't die! You are the one I was ment for! I love you!"  
  
Link looked thoughtfully at her, then looked to Saria. He quickly pushed her off and turned his back to her. He could hear her scowling as she walked back to her place and wipped a few tears away. She just needed someone. She wouldn't get him! Link smiled a bit and turned to face the Sages once again.  
  
"Link. If you are ready, step onto the Royal Familys crest before you." Rauru bellowed. Link did as he commanded. Saria, Daruain, and Ruto stepped up to the pedastle where the sacred stones once sat. They pulled the Stone of Forest, Fire, and Water out of pouches they had and placed them in the holsters. The door of time opened slowly before them and Rauru motioned for Link to pass through.   
  
Link walked into the all too familar door of time with his sword and sheild ready for battle. He heard Rauru uttering some ancient tounges before the door slammed shut behind him. Link stood in a battle ready pose as he was surrounded by the blue light.   
  
Links body rose slowly in the blue light. Every inch he rose the light contracted around him, untill he was floating midway in the temple of time and evern contour of his body was being held by blue light. Below himself, the floor tiles began to fly away. There was a very dark, ominouse hole below him, and yet he had an urge to go in it.  
  
Links body hurtled down into the blackness and the tiles above him closed him in. He continued to fly face first into the darkness. He flew for several more moments before he was surrounded by vibrant colors. He turned, still under the guidance of the light, into an area of red. There was a spinning white light in it, almost carving a path for him.  
  
He hurdled down after the spinning light untill it broke off into several peices. The red area turned a darker shade of red and continued darkening untill it was a brownish color, with him all the time flying towards the center.  
  
It again started to grow black, but there where several white spots that seemed to speed by him, almost like stars. A giant white hole opened up infront of him as he continued through the portal. It kept on going the same speed as him, but soon sped up. It flew out of sight and then returned as soon as it had left, but it passed directly through Link.   
  
He was now in a deep purple area with a rolling white and blue sphere infront of him. Every once and a while it would emit waves as they both sped through the space. The sphere started violently shaking and soon the entire space around it began to shake as well. Soon everything around him began to collapse, leaving him alone in a black area, all the time speeding to wherever it was that he was going.  
  
Soon, a white crinkle in time apeared. It started shaking violently, drawing up its edges and turning in half spins. It continued this for a good while as Link battled to stay sane, a battle which he was quickly loosing.   
  
With what loose hold on his sanity Link still had, he held on as tight as he could as he clenched his fists. The white crinkle became unstable and shot off, leaving a trail of flickering lights and a big, multi-colored circle. It stopped. Link hurtled directly into it and everything just stopped.   
  
He fell out of the sky and hit the ground hard, the soft dew on the grass lightly easing the impact. He raised up half-way on his arms and then onto a kneel. He was in a confused daze as he finially stood and attempted to take in his surroundings.   
  
He was in the middle of the ruins of a once great temple, or seemed too be. There were ruins of great stone pillars, in two rows that lead to a very large cathedral. He was on a clearing of grass, before the ruined stone path before him that led to the cathedral. Even it was quite desecrated, missing great peices of the roof and sides. Link turned his gaze to behind him, and he saw what he had in Kakaroki Village. It was Hyrule Feild...Only over-run with Re-Deads and Stalafos. Grass was a rarity there, and what was left was burning. Periodicly Link could see a flaming stone fall from the heavens and destroy a group of demons.  
  
Link then looked at the sky. It was deep black, with small hints of purple as clouds. It was horrible. Link looked back at the task ahead of him and shook his head. He was going to go kill Ganondorf now. The bastard had made his final mistake. Link smirked evily as he readied again his sword and sheild and walked toward the ancient temple. He would cleanse it, even if he died in the process.  
  
*Note* I know...I promised you longer chapters...But this isn't a chapter. It is an introduction. No sense in combining some LSD with important fights. We take it one step at a time where I come from... 


End file.
